Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1423 Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike

I'm a spinning instructor but currently focusing on other formats. Because of this, I decided to purchase a decent spin bike. Primarily so I don't loose my endurance or teaching "edge." I did a lot of research, and all good reviews pointed back to this manufacturer for my budget. I decided on this one because it had a belt drive, 40lb flywheel (for a smoother ride), ability to adjust seat height for short people (I'm 5'2), bike computer, and of course the price. I knew that I would need to replace the pedals with SPDs, so I added that onto the total cost and still managed to stay in my budget.

I received it earlier than expected, it took me 30 minutes to put together, and I managed to ride that first day. First, I'm completely satisfied with the bike set up. As I mentioned before, I'm 5'2" and normally have a difficult time with bike set up on budget bikes. Honestly, I was nervous about this since it was so affordable. But... the seat is at perfect hip height, and it's several notches from the bottom. My front knee is in line with the middle of my foot when both feet are parallel to the floor, and there's no more than a 35 degree bend in my knee when my leg is fully extended (bottom of the stroke). It's a very quiet and smooth ride, nice resistance for seated and hill climbs. It's a very sturdy bike, but it's easy to move if needed using the wheels. The "computer" is very basic and it's annoying that you can't track RPMs, but it's angled and easy to read. The seat is what you would expect... uncomfortable. But I've taught on $2,500 bikes that have the same problem... One small thing, but I find it very convenient that the water bottle holder is on the side. There's nothing more distracting than having your water bottle fall off during climbs because the holder is in the middle. Overall, for the price, quality, features, and the ride, this bike gets an A- from me.

I was an avid spinner and took classes at my gym until they suddenly shut down on me. I need my daily cardio, and running on pavement everyday is really too much for my joints so I figured I'd just buy my own spin bike. Unlike ellipticals and treadmills, spin bikes don't require extra electricity (my house doesn't have much more wattage power to spare), and don't require huge amounts of space. They are also low impact (great for joints) and run much more quietly than other cardio machines.
I was going to buy the chain drive bike for a slightly cheaper price until last minute I saw someone's Youtube video of them actually riding a Sunny brand chain drive. I could hear the sound of the chain going, which wasn't excessively noisy, but it bothered me enough to change my mind last minute to buy the belt drive model instead, which I've heard is much quieter. I'm glad I did. There is no sound at all except for a slight whooshing sound, from the brake pad rubbing against the wheel. It's very quiet and doesn't bother me at all since it's not a mechanical sound, more of just like a.... natural wind-kind of sound. The ride feels extremely smooth, both during low-resistance sprints, and during very high resistance climbs. I also like the idea of the belt drive over the chain drive because I don't want to have to keep oiling the chain/conditioning it over time since I believe chains require maintenance.

Assembly is surprisingly simple. It took me and my dad less than an hour to put it together, and I probably didn't even need his help (he mostly just helped with carrying the heavy part from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor). All necessary tools are conveniently included. Most of the bike is already pre-assembled and seems pretty sturdy, considering this price range. The resistance knob allows you to add/remove resistance gradually. I've had issues with spin bikes at gyms where I'd turn the knob 1/8th of a turn, and it'd go suddenly from an easy downhill ride to an impossible climb straight away, instead of a gradual slow increase. I'm typically used to riding in a more narrow seat and was surprised at how wide this seat was. Some people may find this more comfortable, but I did not. I guess I have a narrow hip width (?) because the width of the seat is too fat for me and caused me chafing in the inner thighs, right by the groin area. I tried to move the seat as far back as I could, so I'd be seated on the most narrow portion of the seat (to reduce it rubbing against my inner thigh-groin area) but the knotches/shape of the metal bar didn't let me push it back any further. My solution to this was just to take the metal bar out, and re-insert it backwards (shown in my photo) so I could push the seat back an extra 1-2 inches. This repositioning still allows me to screw the knob into the latch/hole, so it's locked in for safety. Felt much more comfortable.

The computer/clock was not an important factor to me but it was nice to have the timer on hand for intervals, and it conveniently came with its own batteries so I gave it a go. I did 1 ride for about 60 minutes and it worked great. The next day it wouldn't turn on at all. I assume this computer is not waterproof, and perhaps my pouring sweat broke the machine. I wish it had come with some sort of not-waterproof warning so I couldve covered it with something... :( The handle bars are shaped in a way so if you have an ipad, you can lean it there and watch things. I only have an iphone, which i put in a small ziplock bag (to protect from my sweat) and take a rubber band and attach it to the middle handlebars and watch spin videos as i ride. Perfect!

Overall I really like this bike and would definitely recommend to others looking for a simple spin bike in this price range. You can do all the traditional spin class moves on it, it is very very quiet (no rattling, no mechanical sounds, and more quiet than the chain drive models), very smooth-feeling ride, assembly is pretty simple. If the computer/clock is important to you, beware--it's not waterproof so keep it dry.

UPDATE (4-5 MONTHS LATER):
The bike still serves it's function well, which is to give me a good workout and the resistance/brake/pedals all still work fine. Nothing has broken or fallen apart on me. (I use the bike about 5-7 hours total/per week, moderate-heavy resistance) However I didn't realize that all my sweating over it would cause many of the screws all over the bike, and various other exposed metal parts to start rusting. I tried to oil those rusted parts with "3-in-1 multpurpose oil" to prevent further damage but the bike seems to need constant greasing. (if anyone can suggest something better, feel free to comment) Also, my bike has started to squawk. The type of noise varies. Sometimes it happens only when i use very heavy resistance and it's literally a very loud deep SQUAWWWK. Sometimes it's a lighter-sounding SQUEEK. Sometimes it happens only on the left pedal stroke. Sometimes only on the right stroke. I don't know exactly what's causing the noise but it's annoying and I don't know how to stop it. I wish there were a more detailed manual included about bike maintenance...

This is a great spin bike, especially for this price. After looking at reviews and weighing price and function, I figured Sunny bikes were the choice for me. I opted for this one mostly because the specs for this one seemed the friendliest for a short rider with a short inseam. The bike was very easy to put together. I did it by myself fairly easily. I do have road cycling experience; if you're not familiar with how to put peddles on, or how a bike saddle needs to be tightened, you might want to get help. Considering the price, I was pleasantly surprised at how solid the bike felt. It's been a fairly quiet bike to spin on, which is a plus. The seat is quite wide and not comfortable, but lots of spin workout time is out of the saddle anyway, so I have no plans to replace it yet. I replaced the pedals with these SPD ones (included are the spacers and hardware for SPD shoes): Shimano PD-A520 Sport SPD Pedal, paired with these SPD shoes: Louis Garneau Women's Multi Air Flex Shoes, Black, 39. I'll be doing the Peloton classes using the iPad app, and the handlebars of this bike are perfect for resting the iPad with no extra hardware. I haven't had the bike long, but so far I'm very pleased with this purchase.

Edited 9/3/2017: I did end up replacing the seat with a road bike saddle. If you're used to road cycling, this one will probably be too wide for comfort. I'm still very pleased with this spin bike along with the Peloton app.